My relationship with traditional Italian restaurants over the years has been constantly conflicted by my Italian upbringing, one in which my grandmother and mother would have simultaneous heart attacks if they found out I went to a restaurant for spaghetti, ravioli, or gnocchi.

Carbonara Piadina at Panzano.

Fact: A man from an Italian family is never going to have anything better than a mediocre experience at a family-style Italian-ish restaurant, plain and simple. I know I'm not alone in bearing this cross - millions of people endure the suffering that stems from a culinary-endowed family tree. I'm being a smartass, but it's true: Sometimes our mamas just spoil us, and for years I passed on opportunities to dine out at Italian restaurants. Why spend the money when it's better at home?

Contemporary Italian food has really allowed me to start venturing back out to the tables, however, as going out for Italian no longer means putting a stranger's version of gravy up against the family brand. Restaurants now seek to build off and transform the traditional recipes, creating new flavors and well-presented, colorful dishes. A quick side-by-side look at the traditional bowl of spaghetti and today's pasta plates clearly shows the great differences between "now" and "then," see some examples below.

Executive Chef Elise Wiggins was also spoiled by her mother, growing up in Louisiana eating gumbo and later attending the Colorado Institute of Art in Denver. After stints in Central America and Puerto Rico (where the restaurant received a AAA Four Diamond award during her tenure), she returned to Denver in 2004 and started at Panzano. Wiggins was unfortunately out of the restaurant when I visited last Thursday, but from the chef's table I was able to take in all of her beautiful dishes.

Mascarpone Cannoli with blueberry compote. Photo credit Laurie Smith.

While some chef's tables can be private or secluded, sitting at the one in Panzano is as if you were sitting at the bar of a nice restaurant, except instead of seeing liquor bottles, you see the chefs preparing every meal. They're approachable and willing to answer questions about what they're making - an awesome perk - and the visual experience kept my attention the entire night. I could see all phases of the process - pasta put into the water, a fried egg placed on the Carbonara Piadina - and the sight, smell, and sound of the preparation was an appetizer in itself.

For $55 a person, you can enjoy a 5-course tasting menu that changes each night. Whatever you decide to order, I would recommend requesting a seat at the chef's table (it is open to everyone and is no extra charge) and settling in for a slow-paced meal. It is in this sense that the old-school Italian traditions are revealed amongst the contemporary cuisine: Many courses, good wine, and long conversation with great food at the heart of the evening.

I'll have more on Panzano in an upcoming Famtripper.com feature - for now, enjoy these photos from the restaurant in downtown Denver:

My relationship with traditional Italian restaurants over the years has been constantly conflicted by my Italian upbringing, one in which my grandmother and mother would have simultaneous heart attacks if they found out I went to a restaurant for spaghetti, ravioli, or gnocchi.

Carbonara Piadina at Panzano.

Fact: A man from an Italian family is never going to have anything better than a mediocre experience at a family-style Italian-ish restaurant, plain and simple. I know I'm not alone in bearing this cross - millions of people endure the suffering that stems from a culinary-endowed family tree. I'm being a smartass, but it's true: Sometimes our mamas just spoil us, and for years I passed on opportunities to dine out at Italian restaurants. Why spend the money when it's better at home?

Contemporary Italian food has really allowed me to start venturing back out to the tables, however, as going out for Italian no longer means putting a stranger's version of gravy up against the family brand. Restaurants now seek to build off and transform the traditional recipes, creating new flavors and well-presented, colorful dishes. A quick side-by-side look at the traditional bowl of spaghetti and today's pasta plates clearly shows the great differences between "now" and "then," see some examples below.

Executive Chef Elise Wiggins was also spoiled by her mother, growing up in Louisiana eating gumbo and later attending the Colorado Institute of Art in Denver. After stints in Central America and Puerto Rico (where the restaurant received a AAA Four Diamond award during her tenure), she returned to Denver in 2004 and started at Panzano. Wiggins was unfortunately out of the restaurant when I visited last Thursday, but from the chef's table I was able to take in all of her beautiful dishes.

Mascarpone Cannoli with blueberry compote. Photo credit Laurie Smith.

While some chef's tables can be private or secluded, sitting at the one in Panzano is as if you were sitting at the bar of a nice restaurant, except instead of seeing liquor bottles, you see the chefs preparing every meal. They're approachable and willing to answer questions about what they're making - an awesome perk - and the visual experience kept my attention the entire night. I could see all phases of the process - pasta put into the water, a fried egg placed on the Carbonara Piadina - and the sight, smell, and sound of the preparation was an appetizer in itself.

For $55 a person, you can enjoy a 5-course tasting menu that changes each night. Whatever you decide to order, I would recommend requesting a seat at the chef's table (it is open to everyone and is no extra charge) and settling in for a slow-paced meal. It is in this sense that the old-school Italian traditions are revealed amongst the contemporary cuisine: Many courses, good wine, and long conversation with great food at the heart of the evening.

I'll have more on Panzano in an upcoming Famtripper.com feature - for now, enjoy these photos from the restaurant in downtown Denver:

famtripper fun fact

Eiffel TowerThe total amount of steps in the Eiffel Tower is 1665. Indulge in an enormous amount of pastries and croissants, because you are able to walk to the second level of the tallest building in Paris. The third level, thankfully, is only accessible by elevator.